AP Exams and College Credit
With SAT Subject Tests gone the way of the Dodo, Advanced Placement (AP) Exams are more important than ever. For one, earning top marks in an AP Course looks great on a student’s academic record. The biggest impact, however, is in college credit. This credit can come in two forms: exemption from introductory courses, or earned course “units”. A student may also qualify for Honors courses, putting them on track to graduate cum laude.
Take, for example, the University of Chicago. While all first-year students are required to take a math placement exam, they may be invited to enroll in a number of Honors math courses if they scored a 5 on the AP Calculus BC exam. Students also have the option to take additional placement exams in Chemistry and a number of non-English languages, but high AP scores will automatically exempt a student from introductory Chemistry or clear a student’s language competency requirement. A score of 4 or 5 on AP Physics or Biology will also automatically exempt students from the respective introductory courses. Finally, students can receive elective credit for 5’s on a variety of English, History, and Government AP Exams.
Remember:
- Check with prospective colleges to see if they will give course credit for AP scores. While it is not the case for UChicago, some colleges will exempt students from “Freshman Comp” or similar English courses if they have earned a 5 on certain AP Exams. Even if a prospective college doesn’t give course credit, it might be worth the weighted grade/GPA (depending on each high school’s policies) to take the class.
- The AP workload may not be for your student, especially if they are taking more than one AP class or are involved in highly time-consuming extra-curricular activities.
Ivy Link tutors have mastered the AP Exams and know how to best prepare students beyond the AP courses, online sources, and prep books alone. Schedule a consultation today, and you can also find more AP Exam tips here.
Important Updates to AP Exams for 2021
The College Board has updated the “online-only” requirement for AP exams, and is offering a variety of testing options to fit the different needs of AP teachers, coordinators and school leaders. Schools can now choose paper or digital exams administered at school, digital exams taken at home, or a mix. The College Board is also waiving cancellation fees to allow even greater flexibility for students.
Ivy Link tutors are prepared to help your student with any type of testing approach your school administration chooses. It is important to know how the school will administer the tests so your student can plan accordingly with their Ivy Link tutor. We summarize below the most important points regarding logistics and scheduling from College Board’s AP 2020-21 updates:
No more “online only.” This year’s schedule provides three testing dates: Administration 1 (May 3–7, May 10–12, May 14, May 17); Administration 2 (Digital: May 18–20, May 26–28/Paper: May 21, 24–25); Administration 3 (Digital: June 1–3, June 7–11/Paper: June 4).
Back to three hours. Both the digital and traditional paper and pencil exams will take three to four hours to complete, instead of 45 minutes, as was the case last year.
More flexibility. Schools are free to choose any testing options and make all decisions about which exams are offered. Your student won’t be able to take the test outside the dates offered.
Look out for updates. Coordinators are responsible for notifying students when and where to take the exams. Keep your Ivy Link tutor posted.
Prepare for digital regardless. Even if the school plans to administer paper exams only, your student should be prepared to take the digital version, in case they need to take a makeup digital exam.
The College Board offers additional information about how AP exams will work this year. What is Ivy Link’s recommendation to our students? Since the tests are back to taking 1 hour and 45 minutes for multiple-choice questions, and 1 hour and 30 minutes for free-response questions, prepare for it as if you were preparing in 2019, i.e. be ready for a lengthy and difficult test. But it’s worth it! For more on why Ivy Link students always take AP exams, check out our previous post.
